Chair



J. C. WITTY March 19,v 1957 CHAIR 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 15, 1954 FIG-'l ATTORNEYS March 19, 1957 J. c. WITTY 2,785,733

CHAIR Filed Oct. 15, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FlG-3 FIG- 6 i FIG-7 IN VEN TOR.

' JAMES C.WITTY ATTORNEYS United States Patent M CHAIR James C. Witty, Troy, Ohio, assignor to The Troy Sunshade Company, Troy, 0hio,a corporation of 01110 Application October 15, 1954, Serial No. 462,408

1 Claim. (Cl. 155-116) This invention relates to adjustable reclining chairs.

It is, a principal object of this invention to provide a chair wherein the seating member is symmetrical and is adjustable on a symmetrical base member between substantially erect sitting positions facing either forwardly or rearwardly of the base member through a plurality of reclining positionsintermediate the sitting positions.

A further object of theinvention is to provide such a chair .WhCIEiH the seating member is removable from the base member to provide separate seating structure usable apart from the base member.

Another object of the invention is to provide a reclining chair having a stationary base member and a seating member slidably resting on the base member wherein the Weight of the person sitting in the chair is utilized to maintain the position of the seating member relative to the base.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description, the accompanying drawing and the appended claim.

In the drawings Fig. 1 is a side elevation of an adjustable chair constructed in accordance with the invention and indicating in dotted section the opposite sitting positions attainable by the chair;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the chair of Fig. 1 in sitting position;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the chair as seen in a fully reclined position;

Fig. 4 is a side elevation illustrating the use of the seat member of the chair apart from the base;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary section taken on line 55 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a detail bottom view of a bearing member utilized in the chair base to receive the weight of the chair seating member;

Fig. 7- is a section on the line 7-7 of Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a partial section similar to Fig. 7 and showing the bearing member in operative position; and

Fig. 9 is an enlarged fragmentary section taken on the line 9-9 of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawing, which illustrates a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the adjustable re clining chair includes a generally rectangular base member 10 havingidentical side members formed from unitary lengths of rod or tubing to include top portions 12 and legs 13 and 14 depending from the opposite ends of the top portions. Joining the side members, and attached thereto at the respective junctures of the legs and top portions, are cross bars 16 and 17 which are horizontally spaced and aligned to complete the symmetrical construction of base member 10. Thus, the base member is perfectly symmetrical end for end and side for side.

The seat structure of the chair is indicated generally at 20 and includes a pair of arcuate side frame members 21 and 22 curved in vertical planes about a common 2,785,733 Patented Mar. 19, 1957 horizontal axis and connected by a pair of end members 23 and 24 and one or more reinforcing cross bars 25. The end members 23 and 24 are shown as formed of wood, and they are secured to opposite ends of the metal frame members 2122. by means of clamp blocks 26 in the manner shown in Fig. 5. Each clamp block 26 cooperates with a short rod section 27 fitted through a transverse bore adjacent the end of the side frame member and having a pair of tapped holes therein to receive clamp screws 28.

The several frame parts 21-25 thus cooperate to form a symmetrical seat frame which is arcuately curved in side elevation and substantially rectangular in plane. This frame is in turn provided with a basket or hammock like seat portion 30 which is similarly of symmetrical proportions. Satisfactory results have been obtained, for example, with this seat portion 30 woven of material such as straw, rattan or other strip material in cooperation with side stays 31 of the same or other suitable strip material. The dimensions of the seat portion 30 are such that it is retained above and within the arcuate outline of the frame members 21 and 22, although it may project laterally therebeyon'd as shown in Fig. 2.

In normal use, the seating structure 20 is mounted on the base 10 with the side frame members 21 and 22 resting on the cross bars 16 and 17 of the base, and the proportions of the parts are such that the frame members 21 and 22 fit just within the side portion 12 of the base with a portion thereof extending below the level of the top of the base for guiding and retention thereby as shown. There is, however, no mechanical connection between the seat and the base so that the seat can be freely adjusted on the base in the manner indicated in dotted lines in Fig. l, with this adjustment being about the axis' coinciding with the centers of curvature of the frame members 21 and 22.

In order to receive the seat on the base for easy sliding movement while also holding the seat in desired adjusted position, bearings'33 are provided adjacent the opposite ends of each cross bar 16 and 17 to engage the surfaces of the arcuate frame members 21 and 22 when the chair is assembled. Figs. 6-9 show in detail one form of bearing which has been found satisfactory and is molded of plastic material to provide a generally rectangular plate 35 from the bottom of which depends a hollow button 36 which is divided into quarters. A short pin or stud 37 depends from the under sideof the plate 35 to facilitate locating the bearing members on the cross bar and preventing their twisting out of position in use. The bearing plate 35 is also provided with a central aperture or bore 38 in alignment with the center of hollow button 36, and on the opposite side of the bearing member, projecting upwardly therefrom in vertical alignment with bore 38 is a drive pin 40.

The bearing members are molded of suitable plastic material, for examplenylon or teflon, and in assembly the quartered button 36 is forced into a hole 42 (Fig. 8) in the cross bar 16 or 17. A smaller hole 43, spaced axially along the cross bar from the main 'hole 42, receives the locating pin 37 to lock the bearing member in position. The drive pin 40 is then forced or hammered down through the plate portion 35 and the aperture 38 therein until it is flush with the upper surface of the plate, as seen in Fig. 9, at the same time spreading the quartered section of the button to lock it in place. Thus when the bearing members 33 are assembled on the base members 16 and 17, they provide substantially flat bearing surfaces for engaging the lower or running surface of the arcuate frame members 21 and In use the seating structure 20 is placed upon base 10,

' l imatep sifion ofjthe at g, struc re. For x mp f One sits in' the .ehair. in one OiT Sittin Po i ions and leans backward into. the seat portion .30 sofas to shift his weight toward the rear or the chair, the' arcuate frame members 21 and 22 will g ide across bars 16 and 1 7 until the'seat assumes: a reclining position upon the "base, fThe angle of this reclining-position relative to' horizontal can be readily controlled by the distribution of the weight upon, the seat relativeto the base to suit the comfort ofthfe user. i a u f It will thus'be Seen that the present invention provides an adjustable reclining chair is'of simple, modern 7 and relatively inexpensive 7 construction and which is capable of assuming a great variety of reclining positions aceording to the desire of the user. There are nofsprings,

' cogs, catches or other moving parts to wear out. Further,

the seating structure 20 may be utilized separately from base lfi'by merely removing it from the base and resting the; arcuate frame members21 and 22 on the ground,

as in Fig. 4, Where again the weight distribution within the seating member relative to the line of contact of the 1 frame members 21 and 22 with the ground wilI deterform of article, and that changes may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention which 7 is defined in the appended claim. a V

What is claimed is: V An adjustable reclining chairof the character described QmPI Sing a base for said seat memberof symmetrical qnfig ation ncluding a pair of laterally spaced side members of generally inverted Li -shape, a pair of spa c ed cross bars connectingsaid side members, a seat. member including a pair of laterally spaced frame members curved in vertical planes about a horizontal axis and spaced to be received on said cross bars in guided relation with the central portions of said side members, a seat'port'ion of symmetrical hammock like configuration 'end for end thereof supported on said frame members and lying entirely above the lateral projection of said curved frame members, and bearing meanson said cross bars supporting said frame members for slidingadjusting movement on said cross bars about said through an extended angulars-g range of positions including substantially .erect'positions facing in opposite directionsand 'with said seat member held on said base solely by gravity to provide for free litting thereof from said base and .rnounting for rocking movement directlyon the floor.

References Cited in the file of rthis patent UNITED STATES PATENTS D. 138,395 HOWald .'.,Al1g. 1, 1944 D. 170,790 Bertoia NO'V.'10, 1 953 86,141 Darling Jan. 26, 1869 137,091 Parker Mar. 25, 1873 281,124 OrdWay July 10, 1883 650,448 Bube May 29,'1'900 674,664 Berg ste'n May21,' 1901 1,988,788 Goodman Jan; 22, 1935 2,313,023 Ruegger Mar. 2, 1943 2,462,521 Marriott 5 Feb. 22,1949 2,520,563 Preston Aug; 29, 1950 2,615,495 Hilliker Oct. '28, 1952' FOREIGN PATENTS 102,898 Australia a r r Jan; 13, 1938: 628,398 Germany' ,,Ap r,- 2 193,6 9 672,824, 7- Scplt24,1929 966,943 Oct; 20, 1950 France Dee. 13. 

